Are you a high school teacher here in New York state? Or do you know a high school teacher in the state? We need your help!
The Sierra Club Population Committee has received a grant from Sierra Club National to offer a state-wide essay contest for high school juniors and seniors, challenging them to write the best essay about the environmental impact of population growth and consumption habits.
If you teach environmental science, general science, social studies, economics or another relevant subject to high school students, perhaps you already include a lesson on this subject. If not, perhaps we can encourage you to do so and provide you with a possible lesson plan to help you along. Or, we can come to your classroom for one period to introduce the topic and the contest. You can then either make it an assignment or encourage your students to submit an essay.
The winners will receive a monetary award and, hopefully, will have their essay or, at least excerpts, published, which would look impressive on any college application. In the process they would be learning about some of the most challenging environmental issues we face.
The lesson plan is being developed now and the contest will be offered in the 2012-13 school year.
If you have any interest in participating in this project, please contact Diane Buxbaum at ddbuxbaum@earthlink.net or Buxbaum.Diane@epamail.epa.gov; or Kathy Schwarz at k_schwarz54@yahoo.com.